Omaha daily bee., 1887-10-12
RAILROAD OFFICIALS RETlcENT.
Almost a Second Chatsworth.

Almost a Second ChatswOrth.
CnrclNo, Oct. 1l.-[Special Telegram to
the BEE IA terrible accident occurred on
the Chicago & Atlantic railroad last night at
Kouts, small station about ffty-fve miles
east Of Chicago. Passenger train No. 12,
which left here at :45 p. m, stopped Just
this side of Kouts at As to make SOME re-
pairs The fast freight tram No. AZ, which
should follow on instructions, received
clear bill at Boone Grove, six miles west Of
Ilouts and had got up good speed when it
crashed into the rear Of the halted passenger
train The night was dark and the scene
Curing the next half hour was dreadful. The
scar coaches Of the passenger train were
smashed and telescoped 30 that the three oc-
cupied less space than one: No one in the
Pullman sleepers was injured. The conduc-
tor telegraphed to his company here that all
escaped before the fire reached the car and
none were injured in the collision. General
Manager Broughton, with all the clerks and
others who could be of any use at the scene,
left ~ soon az he heard of the accident this
morning.
Upon the arrival of the wrecked train at
the water tank, the scene of the accident, the
engineer discovered portion of the engine
laOut Of gear and q stop was made to fix it. A
signal is said to have been sent back to stop
! the next train should il come along while the
| passenger was still ut the water tank, but for
some reason this signal was ignored, if sent,
and the meat express, which runs mt high
fa'ate of speed, crashed into the train The
entire passenger train, consisting of five cars,
was completely wrecked. Amid pandemo-
MUM of crashing timbers and human shreks
Nind topping fragments of the wreck the
horror was tripled when the confused mass
'Sf splintered and broken wood was discov-
cred to be on fire Those who miraculously
escaped uninjured Immediately turned their
sttenton to those imprisoned in the wreck,
ssind all but about twenty, it is now thought
| were rescued.
+ A PAssENGER's NARROWING NARRATIVE.
One gentleman, passenger from Taunton,
Mass, who was on his way home, was sitting
PIN the first car asleep, with his hand on his
psatchel. 1.-THE first I knew" said he, Il
Nheard frightful crash and the car seemed
shattered and the pieces were flying past me.
The next l knew l found myself almost
buried in the ruins and they seemed to keep
piling up. tried to extricate myself and
found was near a window. 1t was very
ktlark and all around me were yells and groans
and the blackness made it fearful. l didn't
Isecm to be hurt beyond being shaken up, so
called for help out of the window. Some
man-I don't know who-helped me out, and
u then turned in and helped to get others out.
a little while after l got out, though, the
whole thing took fire, and we were forced
20 give up working on it, bit by bit, and let
II burn with the horrible cries of those inside
in our ears. At one place there were
two or three women, apparently all
together and we tried to get them out.
Hhey were shrieking all the time in a man
per to freeze ones blood, for the fire was
coming nearer to them all the time. We
worked as long as we could, but could not
get them out, and the fire came all around
Them and finally silenced their screams. To
hear their desperate cries, the fire came
ocarer and nearer, and finally reached them,
bvas simply appalling"
FIRE ADDS TO THE HORROR.
The wreck burned to the trucks, no facili-
ties being at hand to extinguish the fire. A
car load of the injured was taken eastward
from the wreck this forenoon. They We're
MANNED, bruised and burned, some quite
BADLY
OTHER ACCOUNTS.
N. A. Duncan, of Syracuse; y. Y, secre
Vuhy Va phS Shoueouiuo cSochuly, ulIlNcu ~
Che city this afternoon on the Chicago & At
iantic limited from New York, which was
6ve hours late Mr.. Duncan said "Oul
train got into Koutz at o'clock this morning
end then we were told of the wreck which
had occurred two miles west of the town. /
with several other gentlemen, visited the
scene Of the disaster. There were hundreds
OF people around but everyone seemed t.
Aayal nd taA hot hnl ban
6one to assist the wounded. When we go
there most sickening sight met our eyes
Strewn all along the track amid the wreck
age We're ten or twelve charred bodies. ON
little Bohemian boy'was propped up agains
Che fence, badly crushed and dying, and ther
an front of him lay his dead mother, brothe
and two sisters. 1t was imposs
bic to secure names, as ever
Dne was half out of their wit
and II was a long time after the accident oc
curred before any assistance was rendered.
hunted up the night operator at Koutz and h
Fave me the following account of the disas
Ser, which is about correct: The trai
Tlccked was No. H. which left Chicago q
S:i5. The train was made up of five cars, tn
Gwo rear ones being Pullman sleepers. Jus
before the train arrived at Kouts an ecceI
trc of the engine broke and the enginee
slowed up for repairs. brakeman hun
put danger signal light and the thing leas
expected was that a train would be aloni
The train had stopped but u short time whe
thc train behind, which proved TO be the fa'
Chicago 'meat" train, made up Of freigt
ears, dashed into 1t. Notwithstanding II
danger signal the ''meat" train rushed on
the rate of thirty-five miles an hour. ST
struck the rear coach, teescoped it and IL
two in front, and left nothing but Il
front baggage car standing. Thr'
coaches were swept completely ava
nothing but the trucks beir
= 1eft standing The wreckage immediate
caught fire, and the wounded and dead lay
the flames and were burned beyond recogr
tion. The people around there said tn
about ten people were burned" added M
Duncan, "but think there were at least fl
toen, rs I saw dozen ladies laid out"
Frank Cramer, general western agent Z